1. Technical Field
The invention relates to dietary supplements as well as methods for reducing pain, inflammation, and stiffness associated with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
2. Background Information
Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and osteoarthritis are serious medical problems that affect many Americans. In fact, arthritis is one of the nation's most prevalent chronic health problems. An estimated 43 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, this figure is expected to jump to about 60 million within the next decade.
Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, is the most common form of arthritis. By age 40, about 90 percent of all people have x-ray evidence of OA in the weight bearing joints such as the hips and knees. In addition, more than 20 million American currently have symptoms of OA. Severe involvement of the hips, knees, and spinal column can greatly limit activity and diminish the overall quality of life. The gradual breakdown of cartilage that accompanies aging is the leading cause of OA. This type of OA, called primary osteoarthritis, is caused by cartilage damage resulting mostly from stress on the joint from, for example, obesity. The first alteration in the joint, which takes place over decades, is a roughening of articular cartilage followed by pitting, ulceration, and progressive loss of cartilage surface. Primary OA most commonly involves the joints of the fingers, hips, knees, spine, base of the thumb, and big toe. It can be present in just one of these joints or in all of them.
Secondary OA, however, can affect any joint. Typically, secondary OA follows trauma or chronic joint injury due to some other type of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis. Alternatively, secondary OA can result from overuse of a particular joint. Although most body tissues can make repairs following an injury, cartilage repair is hampered by a limited blood supply and the lack of an effective mechanism for cartilage re-growth. The effects of joint overuse were shown in a study that revealed that subjects whose jobs required at least one hour a day of kneeling or squatting were almost twice as likely to have OA in the knees than those not commonly performing such activities. Because trauma or overuse hastens the degeneration of cartilage, symptoms of secondary OA can become apparent at a much younger age than symptoms of primary OA.
OA symptoms are usually mild at first. For example, morning stiffness that rarely lasts for more than 15 minutes is a common early symptom of OA. As the disease advances, mild pain will occur when moving the affected joint. The pain typically is made worse by greater activity and-is relieved by rest. In many people, symptoms progress no further. In others, however, the pain and stiffness gradually worsen until they limit daily activities such as walking, going up stairs, or typing. Enlargement of the finger joints is common in the later stages of OA. Knobby overgrowths of the joints nearest the fingertips occur most often in women and tend to run in families.
There are number of treatments that can relive the pain, inflammation, and discomfort associated with OA. One treatment involves the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Although NSAIDs relieve some stiffness, inflammation, and pain associated with OA, NASIDs can lead to side effects such as gastric bleeding, liver damage, and kidney damage. In addition, long-term use of NSAIDs can lead to reduced effectiveness.